Hyderabad air quality worse this Diwali compared to last 2 yrs

Hyderabad: The Telangana State Pollution Control Board on Friday released the air quality reports for Hyderabad this Diwali. The air quality in the city was worse compared to the last two years.

According to the reports, the level of particulate matter (PM) 2.5 increased from 34 to 105 micrograms per cubic meter during Diwali eve, and the level of PM 10 increased from 78 to 138 micrograms per cubic meter.

The concentration of sulphur dioxide jumped from 6.6 micrograms per cubic meter during regular hours to 13.1 micrograms per cubic meter on Diwali eve.

Air quality in previous years

· Because of the pandemic, air quality values were substantially lower in the previous two years.

· In 2020, PM 2.5 levels were 64 micrograms per cubic meter, while in 2021, they were 81 micrograms per cubic meter.

· In contrast, PM 10 levels in 2020 were 128 micrograms per cubic meter and 118 micrograms per cubic meter in 2021.

· Sulphur dioxide levels also were reasonably lower, with 8.4 micrograms per cubic meter in 2020 and 5.8 micrograms per cubic meter in 2021. However, the concentration of nitrogen oxides decreased a little this year compared to last year.